ELLICOTT • It takes a village to hold a yard sale of this magnitude.

Every year, folks on this dot on the eastern El Paso County plains set up shop in the school gym to raise money for a neighbor in need.

There’s usually a family or two in bad straits. This year, there were six. Three had tragic losses days before this weekend’s Friday-Saturday sale.

Organizers didn’t panic. They just baked more goods, collected more stuff, set up extra tables — and they plan to repeat it all in two weeks.

“The principal said, ‘Can you fill up the gym again?’” PTA mom Carey Adams said.

This unincorporated community about 25 miles from Colorado Springs might seem a long way to come to get trinkets for cheap.

But it wasn’t just the usual clothes, dishes and banana bread at this weekend’s sale that raised more than $5,000.

There were goats, raffles, haircuts and a Girl Scout plugging a garden project. Students grilled burgers and the principal paid up to get his head buzzed.

Proceeds will be split six ways to the families coping with illness, death and unemployment.

This includes two families, one who was battling cancer, that collided in a serious April 5 car crash near the school. Another to benefit is the grandmother guardian of a 12-year-old Ellicott boy killed in an April 10 rollover crash near Calhan.

Despite their hardships, some recipients donated items to the sale.

“It’s kind of crazy how it works in Ellicott,” middle school principal Chris Smith said.

Mike Overmyer, an out-of-work electrician, moved to Ellicott from the Springs last summer for a more peaceful and affordable place for his three kids and ill wife.

Overmyer had just dropped off his kids at school and was taking his wife, Katie, to chemotherapy two weeks ago when he collided with a car driven by Ellicott school parent Shayne Brandon. Both cars were totaled and all occupants injured. 

“The community has just embraced us,” said Overmyer, who was airlifted to the hospital. “From knocking on the door, dropping off milk, to asking if we need rides to treatment.”

Many here are grieving for Dustin Mansfield, who died in last weekend’s crash on U.S. Highway 24, along with his mom, who didn’t live in Ellicott.

“He was a good kid,” said Smith, his principal. “Always taking up for his friends and making sure nobody was doing them wrong.”

“He liked to draw trucks. I thought that was cool,” added classmate Aubrey Blood, 12, who set up a booth at the sale to promote her Girl Scout Silver Award project for a community garden behind the school.

“I don’t know much about gardening, so I am signing up volunteers to help,” she said.

She wasn’t getting as many signatures as the raffle pots, but she was happy.

At a nearby table, Patti Comer fielded compliments on her bounty of pastries.

Comer has 22 grandkids to bake goodies for. None go to school in Ellicott. No matter.

“I like to bake banana bead, so I volunteered to do that,” she said. “And gingerbread, cupcakes, snickerdoodles, brownies, haystacks, peanut butter cookies, butter pecan…”

She plans another baking spree for the sale in two weeks.

“It’s a community that really pulls together,” she said.

Overmyer was overwhelmed by the support from his new neighbors.

“At first it was hard for me to accept all that,” he said. “I’m used to taking care of myself. It takes a toll on your pride. You put your pride down and thank God there are people out here willing to help.”

Organizers are seeking donations to fill up the gym for the next sale.

Cows and goats welcome. Bring it on. They’ll also pick up.

Call 719-660-0834.

The next sale at Ellicott Middle School, 350 S. Ellicott Highway, will be held 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 30, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 1.

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Contact the writer at 636-0253.

Marie Bak Photo by